A prison nurse who smuggled drugs into two jails for a criminal gang has been struck off by a tribunal. Kiera Burton, 35, was jailed for 20 months for her role in the conspiracy that saw cannabis, ketamine, spice, mobile phones and SIM cards taken into HMP Preston and HMP Lancaster Farms.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has made an interim striking-off order that will become permanent unless a successful appeal is lodged within 28 days.
Judge's remarks at sentencing
At the sentencing hearing in March, Judge Michael Maher said Burton was “plainly besotted” with one of her co-defendants and “counting down the days” to his release. He said the nurse was seen as a “cash cow for this family enterprise” and that while Burton had expressed some initial reservations, these appeared to have “quickly evaporated.”
The judge said Burton appeared to “enjoy the thrill of smuggling these items” into her place of work. He also referred to messages between Burton and some of the co-defendants that showed the frequency with which phones and drugs, mainly cannabis, were conveyed into the prison and the careful preparation carried out to avoid detection by authorities and their dogs.
How the nurse was caught
A raid on Burton's home address and car found items including a pair of shoes with hollowed-out soles, as well as SIM cards, mobile phones and cash, reported LancsLive. She was stopped and searched on her way into work at HMP Preston and found with drugs and SIM cards on her. Detectives said the gang also used sophisticated drones to deliver parcels of drugs that were dropped into the prison yards.
A total of 14 people were jailed for their roles in the conspiracy. Burton, of Farington, Lancashire, was convicted of conspiracy to convey list A and B items into HMP Preston and being concerned in the supply of cannabis and spice between October 2023 and April 2024.
NMC panel's decision
An NMC report said: “The panel concluded that Miss Burton’s actions represented a significant departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse and are fundamentally incompatible with her remaining on the register.
“Balancing all of these factors and after taking into account all the evidence before it during this case, the panel concluded that a striking-off order is the only sanction which will be appropriate, proportionate and sufficient to declare and maintain professional standards.
“Having regard to the matters it identified, in particular the effect of Miss Burton’s actions in bringing the profession into disrepute by adversely affecting the public’s view of how a registered nurse should conduct herself, the panel has concluded that nothing short of this would be sufficient in this case.”
